Deep Freeze Mac Overview
About Deep Freeze
Deep Freeze Mac provides a completely non-restrictive working environment where there is no need to be concerned about system damage or corruption; a simple restart eradicates all changes and ensures that the standard system configuration is available at all times. All changes to a computer are temporary for that working session, including installation or removal of software and application preference configuration. The need for IT professionals to perform rebuilds, re-image, or troubleshoot computers is eliminated, resulting in a reduction in IT expenditures and an increase in computer uptime.
About Apple Remote Desktop (ARD)
Apple Remote Desktop is Apple Computer’s complete desktop management solution for Mac OS X. Faronics does not provide sales or technical support information for Apple Remote Desktop. More information regarding ARD can be found at http://www.apple.com/remotedesktop.
Command Line Control Capability
Tasks referred to in Appendix II for use with ARD can also be used in other third-party command line control programs.
System Requirements
Deep Freeze Mac 4.0 requires Mac OS X Panther v10.3.0 - 10.3.9 or Tiger v10.4.1 and up.
Deep Freeze Mac is a Universal application (Intel and PPC compatible).
ARD integration requires Apple Remote Desktop version 2.2 or later.
A minimum of 256 MB RAM is recommended.
Important Terminology
A Frozen volume or partition is completely restored to its exact original configuration and contents upon each restart of the computer.
A Thawed volume partition functions normally, as it would if Deep Freeze was not installed.
About Faronics
Faronics develops and markets intelligent utilities for absolute control of multi-user computing environments. Faronics’ market-leading solutions have dramatically impacted the day-to-day lives of thousands of information technology professionals and computing lab managers by ensuring 100% availability of systems. Our user-driven, powerful technology innovations benefit educational institutions, healthcare facilities, libraries, government organizations and corporations. Incorporated in 1996, Faronics has two offices situated in the USA and Canada. An ambitious growth strategy and global outlook has Faronics striving to reach new markets. Future diversification of Faronics’ utilities will provide innovative and unique solutions that will continue to enhance user productivity.
Installing Deep Freeze
Installation and configuration of Deep Freeze Mac requires administrative access.
Deep Freeze Mac is distributed on a CD-ROM in a media package, or as a downloadable file via the Internet.
Installing Using a Customized Deep Freeze Installer
A customized Deep Freeze Installer pre-configured with up to four usernames/passwords and environment-specific application settings can be created using the Deep Freeze Assistant. Refer to Appendix I for more information.
Installing Using the Basic Deep Freeze Installer
To install Deep Freeze on a single computer, complete the following steps:
- Double-click the file DFX Version.pkg to begin the installation process. (Depending on the configuration, the file extension may not be visible.)
- Follow the steps presented, and read and accept the license agreement.
- Click Install and Deep Freeze is installed on the computer.
The computer requires a restart to complete the installation.
Upon completion of a successful installation and after the computer has been restarted, Deep Freeze is automatically configured to put all drives and partitions into a Frozen state (unless otherwise configured through the Deep Freeze Assistant). Drives and volumes that are to be put in a Thawed state can be specified using the Deep Freeze Controller after the install and restart following the install.
Installing via Apple Remote Desktop
Deep Freeze is distributed as a standard installation package file and can therefore be installed over a network using Apple Remote Desktop’s Install Packages command. Refer to the Apple Remote Desktop user guide for more information. Refer to Appendix II for more information about controlling Deep Freeze over a network using Apple Remote Desktop.
Installing Over Previous Versions
It is recommended that all previous versions of Deep Freeze Mac be uninstalled before installing a newer version.
Deep Freeze Mac should not be booted in Target Disk Mode when Frozen. The cache files will be invalidated and the program will become corrupt. If booting in Target Disk Mode, ensure the computer is in a Thawed state.
Using Xgrid with Deep Freeze Mac
In order for Xgrid to work properly on a Frozen Macintosh, the Xgrid folder must be symlinked to a Thawed partition. When the computer is Thawed the /private/var/xgrid folder must be mapped to a Thawed location (either the Global ThawSpace or a Thawed partition) and then symlinked to its original location.
Use terminal to do the following:
- sudo cp -R /private/var/xgrid to “some Thawed location” (another partition OR the Global Thawspace)
- sudo rm -R /private/var/xgrid
- sudo ln -s “some Thawed location”/xgrid /private/var/xgrid
Using the Deep Freeze Controller
If all drives and partitions are Frozen on a computer, a user can create, save, change, and delete files. However, all changes are temporary, unless a ThawSpace or Thawed partition is being utilized. The complete contents of a Frozen drive or volume are restored at restart.
All changes made in the Deep Freeze Controller only take effect after a restart.
Opening the Deep Freeze Controller
Use one of the following three options to open the Deep Freeze Controller:
- Browse to Applications > Faronics > DFXControl.app and double-click.
- Press Ctrl + Opt + Shift + F6.
- Click the Deep Freeze icon in the menu bar and select Login.
Creating the First User
- Unless a Deep Freeze user (DF User) was created using the Deep Freeze Assistant, the first time Deep Freeze Controller is opened, there are no DF Users present. A prompt appears to create a user, as shown:

- Click Create DF User. The following dialog appears:

- Enter a user name and password, and verify the password.
NOTE: If Apple Remote Desktop (ARD) is going to be used to manage Deep Freeze Mac deployments, ensure that only alpha-numeric characters are used in the password, or the remote tasks will fail.
- Click OK to finish creating the first user.
- The Deep Freeze Controller screen appears, with seven tabs: Boot Control, Drives, ThawSpace, Maintenance, Mapping, DF Users, and Uninstall.
When opening the Deep Freeze Controller again, the login window appears as shown:

Enter a valid DF User Name and password and click OK.
The Deep Freeze Controller screen appears with the Boot Control tab active.
Boot Control Tab
The Boot Control tab is used to change the status of Deep Freeze on a computer.

Use the three radio buttons provided to change the state of Deep Freeze:
- To set the computer to a Frozen state, choose Boot Frozen.
- To set the computer to a Thawed state for a specified number of restarts, choose Boot Thawed on Next and specify the number of restarts (the number entered must be between 1-99).
- To set the computer to a Thawed state, choose Boot Thawed.
To restart the computer after making changes, click Restart.
The following configuration options are available:
- To hide the Frozen icon, select the Hide Frozen Icon in menu bar checkbox.
- To hide the Thawed icon, select the Hide Thawed Icon in menu bar checkbox.
- To display Frozen partitions without a Deep Freeze icon, select the Don’t badge Frozen partitions checkbox.
- To set the workstations to restart when a user logs out, select the Restart instead of Log Out checkbox.
To save any changes made, click Apply; changes take effect after a restart.
Drives Tab
When the Drives tab is selected, Deep Freeze searches the computer and lists the drives present on a computer. The drives listed can be put into a Frozen state or a Thawed state.

All drives on the computer are initially Frozen by default, unless otherwise specified in the Deep Freeze Assistant (see Appendix I for more information). If you have created a partition to save user data and did not designate it as a Thawed partition in the Assistant, put that partition in a Thawed state by deselecting the corresponding checkbox in the Frozen column.
To save any changes made, click Apply; the changes take effect after a restart.
Removable media such as external FireWire or USB hard drives or keychain drives are not displayed and can not be Frozen.
ThawSpace Tab
The ThawSpace tab is used to create virtual Thawed partitions where documents and changes are retained persistently on Frozen computers. Administrators can create a User ThawSpace for each User, or a Global ThawSpace that all users can share.
Global and User ThawSpaces are easily distinguishable by the icons displayed in the Type column. The icon represents the Global ThawSpace, and the icon represents a User ThawSpace.
ThawSpaces can be added or deleted from within the tab using the Add and Delete buttons. ThawSpaces are sized in MB or GB and can range from 1 MB to 120 GB.
The computer must be in a Thawed state to create or modify a ThawSpace. If a ThawSpace was set up using the Deep Freeze Assistant, a dialog (with a progress bar) appears stating that ThawSpaces are being created. A restart is still required to enable these ThawSpaces.
A maximum of one Global and 32 User ThawSpaces can be created on each computer. The User ThawSpaces are visible for mapping purposes.
ThawSpaces appear as removable media on the Desktop. To have User ThawSpaces tagged with the users’ chosen icons, select the Tag User ThawSpace with icon checkbox.

Adding a Global ThawSpace
To create a Global ThawSpace, complete the following steps:
- Click Add. The following dialog appears:
- In the dialog that appears, select Global ThawSpace from the list of User Names.
- In the Size field, enter the size of the ThawSpace and use the drop down menu to choose if it is sized in MB or GB. The default size of the Global ThawSpace is 1 GB.
- Click Add, or click Cancel to return to the tab without adding the ThawSpace.
- In the ThawSpace tab, click Apply to create the new ThawSpace. A dialog prompts for the administrative username and password. Although the ThawSpace may appear on the desktop before a restart, the change will not take effect without a restart.
Modifying a Global ThawSpace
To modify a Global ThawSpace, click Add and select Global ThawSpace. Enter the new size of the ThawSpace in the Size field and click Add.
In the ThawSpace tab, click Apply. A dialog prompts for the administrative username and password. The change will take effect on the next restart.
It is not possible to modify an existing ThawSpace and retain its contents.
Adding a User ThawSpace
To create a ThawSpace for a particular user on the drive, complete the following steps:
- Click Add.
- In the dialog that appears, select the user that the ThawSpace will be created for.
- In the Size field, enter the size of the ThawSpace and use the drop-down menu to choose if it is sized in MB or GB. The default size of the User ThawSpace is 10 MB.
- Click Add, or click Cancel to return to the tab without adding the ThawSpace.
- In the ThawSpace tab, click Apply to create the new ThawSpace. A dialog prompts for the administrative username and password. Although the ThawSpace may appear on the desktop before a restart, the change will not take effect without a restart.
If a new ThawSpace is added for a user who already has an existing ThawSpace, the contents of the previous ThawSpace will be deleted.
Modifying User ThawSpaces
To modify a User ThawSpace, click Add and select the name of the ThawSpace to be modified. Enter the new size of the ThawSpace in the Size field and click Add.
In the ThawSpace tab, click Apply. A dialog prompts for the administrative username and password. The change will take effect on the next restart.
It is not possible to modify an existing ThawSpace and retain its contents. Removing a ThawSpace that has a user mapped to it will prevent the user from logging on to the computer. It is recommended that the user be mapped to an alternate location before the ThawSpace is removed.
Removing a User or Global ThawSpace
To remove a User or Global ThawSpace, complete the following steps:
- Select the ThawSpace to be deleted and click Delete.
A dialog appears, asking for confirmation of the deletion.
- Click Delete to permanently delete the ThawSpace or Cancel to return to the tab with the ThawSpace retained.
- Click Apply. A dialog prompts for the administrative username and password. The change will take effect on the next restart.
Alternatively, Deep Freeze Mac can be uninstalled in order to remove any ThawSpaces.
If a user unmounts the ThawSpace virtual drive, it is restored upon log out/log in or restart. On a Frozen workstation, if a ThawSpace is physically deleted, the ThawSpace is restored upon restart but the contents are deleted.
Maintenance Tab
The Maintenance tab is used to schedule a Maintenance Period when the computer will be automatically Thawed to allow Apple Software Updates to be permanently applied.

Creating and Naming Multiple Maintenance Schedules
To create multiple individually named Maintenance Schedules, complete the following steps:
- On the Maintenance Tab, click Add.
The default Schedule 1 tag appears in the list on the left side of the tab. Each additional schedule added will have that default tag, but can be renamed.
- To rename a schedule, double-click the tag to be renamed.
The field becomes editable.
- Enter the new schedule name.
NOTE: Up to 10 individually named Maintenance Schedules can be created.
Configuring and Editing Maintenance Schedules
To configure a schedule, click the name of the schedule to be configured.
Then choose from the following options to configure the Maintenance Schedule:
- To turn the Maintenance Period on, click the Activate Maintenance Schedule option.
- From the Day drop-down menu, select a day of the week when the schedule will occur.
- Use the From and To fields to enter the period of time that the Maintenance will occur.
- Select the Once Only checkbox to create a one-time only schedule; if this checkbox is not selected, the schedule recurs on a weekly basis.
- Select Install Apple Software Updates to install any available Apple Software Updates.
- Select Lock Out User to prevent a user from accessing the computer during the Maintenance Period.
- Select Warn User At to provide a message to users warning them that the computer will be taken over at a specified time, and enter the warning time in the field provided.
- Use the Message for User text box to enter a custom message for the user, explaining that the Maintenance Schedule will take place at a specified time; by inserting %d as a variable into the message, Deep Freeze will automatically display the number of minutes until the Maintenance Period begins. (Again, %d is a variable corresponding to the number of minutes between the current time and the time that scheduled Maintenance will begin.)
- Select Shutdown After Maintenance to shut the computer down after the Maintenance Period is complete.
The minimum time allowed for a Maintenance Period is 10 minutes.
To save any changes made, click Apply; the changes take effect after a restart.
Mapping Tab
The Mapping tab is used to map user profiles to a specific ThawSpace or partition, or to map elements of a user profile to a specific ThawSpace or partition.
NOTE: This feature is only available at the administrator level. The current logged in user can not be mapped. The computer must be restarted for the changes to take effect.

To map a user profile to a target destination, select the user’s account and under User Location select one of the options available: Boot Volume, User ThawSpace, Partition, or Custom. |